Democratic Party incumbents Eric Mamula and Tamara Pogue have won the two contested races for seats on the Summit Board of County Commissioners, according to preliminary results published as of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Summit Daily News called both contested races at 8 p.m. due to the decisive margins that emerged early.

The latest results showed that in the District 1 race, Mamula had received 9,638 votes, or 65%, while Republican Allen Bacher had received 5,095 votes, or 35%.

“It’s an affirmation of some of the programs we’ve been working on the last year. I would like to say thanks to Summit County for supporting me and putting their trust in me,” Mamula said. “The housing things we’ve been working on in particular are a big deal. Some of the things we’ve been talking about lately — about increasing funding for roads — resonates with people.”

In the District 2 race, Pogue had received 8,763 votes, or 60%, while Republican Bob Cottrell had received 5,724 votes, or 40%.

“I am incredibly grateful to the voters of Summit County that they have confidence in me to fight for them for another four years,” Pogue said. “I think this speaks highly of the work the board has done particularly as it relates to affordable housing, prioritizing improvements to our infrastructure and balancing property tax relief with funding for the services so many in Summit County rely on. I’m excited to continue to fight for all of us.”

Nina Waters ran unopposed for the District 3 seat.

District 1 represents the southern part of the county, including Breckenridge and Blue River. District 2 represents areas of Summit County including Dillon, Keystone and Montezuma. Candidates must live within their given district, but all Summit County voters get to vote for each open seat on the Board of County Commissioners.

District 1

Prior to being a commissioner, Mamula spent 16 years on the Breckenridge Town Council, serving as mayor for about eight years. He has owned Downstairs at Eric’s on Breckenridge Main Street since 1989.

Mamula listed road maintenance, transportation, housing affordability and sustainability among his top priorities as a commissioner. During his campaign, Mamula advocated for building more housing, putting more money into county road projects, like Swan Mountain Road, and exploring the possibility of microtransit to complement the free Summit Stage transportation system. He has also been a supporter of the county’s sustainability programs, like those aimed at diverting materials to increase the lifespan of the local landfill.

Bacher, who ran unsuccessful campaigns for a commissioner seat in 2014, 2020 and 2022, is a retired businessman and an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College. He has owned property in the Peak 7 neighborhood in unincorporated Breckenridge since 1991.

Bacher’s campaign focused on reducing property taxes, slashing regulations, especially those on short-term rentals, and shrinking the size of government.

District 2

Pogue was first elected to the Summit Board of County Commissioners in 2020 to a four-year term. She previously served as the executive director for the Family & Intercultural Resource Center and as chief executive officer of the Peak Health Alliance.

Pogue listed her top three priorities as lowering property taxes, finding solutions to housing affordability and improving roads and infrastructure. Last winter, she was the lone vote on the board in favor of a mill levy reduction. 

During her campaign, Pogue touted her accomplishments in her first term, including bolstering county staff and generating millions in grant funding for county programs. She also pointed to her work on affordable housing, including converting hotels to rentals, kick-starting workforce housing developments and making the construction of accessory dwelling units easier.

Cottrell, who moved to Summit County in 1993, is an attorney who specializes in real estate titles. During his campaign, he listed lowering property taxes, “respecting investment” and finding solutions to housing affordability as his top issues.

District 3

District 3 represents Silverthorne, part of Frisco and the Copper Mountain area. 

A decade-long resident of the county, Waters, was appointed in September 2023 to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Commissioner Josh Blanchard. Waters, a Democrat, will serve a four-year term.

Waters moved to the county in 2014 after landing an acting job at Silverthorne Theater SilCo, formerly the Lake Dillon Theatre Co. During that time, she took on multiple jobs including working at restaurants, breweries and as a rafting guide. She served as Theatre SilCo’s patron service’s manager from 2014 to 2019 and became vice chair of Silverthorne’s art board in 2018.

Waters has listed affordable housing, water security and emergency preparedness as among her top issues.